enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in the

342 Pages·2017·2 MB·English

RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN
ARBITRAL AWARDS IN KUWAIT

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

By

Saad Badah

School of Law, Brunel University

August 2016
ABSTRACT
International commercial arbitration is undertaken for the purpose and in the confidence
that an award emanating therefrom is binding, recognizable and enforceable between the
parties. Recognition and enforcement give rise to legal issues because while awards may
be obtained by private parties or companies, recognition and enforcement depend on the
state through its judicial arm, the courts. There might be conflicts between the
successful parties’ aspirations and those of the state or the court that must recognize and
enforce an award. The procedure is therefore key. This thesis seeks to analyse the rules
relevant to the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Kuwait and
also to evaluate the effectiveness of Kuwait’s recognition and enforcement framework,
especially against the backdrop of article V (1) and (2) of the New York Convention.
Kuwait derives its laws mainly from Islamic law, Islamic jurisprudence, local customs,
international conventions and international law. Kuwaiti’s statutory laws largely meet
international standards but with some reservations. In particular, the recognition and
enforcement of foreign arbitral awards is largely subjected to Islamic law and principles
as arbitral awards must usually be registered in Kuwaiti courts and be validated by
judges, who are constitutionally bound to adhere to the supremacy of Islamic law and
values. Nevertheless, this study establishes that Kuwaiti laws and practices on
recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards for the most part have applied
the rules and standards stipulated in the New York Convention, albeit restrictively.
However, deviations exist between the Arabic text of the New York Convention and the
actual text of the Convention. These deviations do not necessarily hamper the effective
recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, but in some respects they render
a narrower and more restrictive interpretation and application of the Convention in
Kuwait.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I thank God for his blessing and for giving me the strength to sustain this project. I also
thank my family, in particular, my father, mother and wife for giving me the inspiration
to undertake this work.
My thanks also go to the Kuwaiti Government for supporting me financially, as well as
morally over the last four years, making it possible for me to study for a research degree
in the United Kingdom.
I would like to acknowledge the high quality of supervision that I received from my
supervisor, Professor Peter Jaffey and to thank him for all his help and kindness. I wish
to thank Brunel Law School, Brunel University, London, for the support given during
my time of study. I would also like to thank Dr Mihail Danov, Dr Olufemi Amao, Dr
Muhammed Korotana, Mr Tony Cole, Professor Benedict Abrahamson Chigara,
Professor Javaid Rehman, Professor Manisuli Ssenyonjo, Professor Alexandra Xanthaki,
Dr Ayesha Shahid and the late Professor K Kiakabord for their friendship and moral
support.
Finally, I would like to thank my special friend, Dr Abdullah Alhajeri, for his advice and
support over the last four years.

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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the work in this thesis is my own work and all quotations have
been distinguished by quotation marks. This work has not been submitted in substance
for any other degree or award at this or any other university or place of learning, nor is it
being submitted in candidature for any degree or other award.

Saad Badah
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DEDICATION
This thesis is dedicated to God almighty and all arbitration victims in the Middle East
and around the world.

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